Graveyard Hearts (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS)
by lostinthemusic6
Summary: She didn't know him, didn't know his story. Hell, she didn't even know his name - but that didn't stop her from placing a flower at his brother's grave and it didn't stop her from stepping forward and placing her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself as she swung her leg over and settled in behind him on the bike, wrapping her slim arms around his waist. [AU/ NO ZA]
1. Chapter 1

**I got the inspiration for this after taking a much needed pointless drive and wound up driving past a small little graveyard on the edge of town. Funny how I always seem to find a muse when I barely have enough time for the stories I am currently working on...oh well. **

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_The road is long,_  
_And I am tired,_  
_But with you on my horizon,_  
_I will drive until it all breaks down_

_\- All Time Low: "The Edge of Tonight"_

...

He leaned back against the marble, half sitting on the headstone behind him as he pulls out his rumpled pack of cigarettes and brings one to his lips. He flicks on his lighter and lights it up, inhaling a deep breath and letting it out in a stream of smoke that drifts off into the wind. He slaps his hand against the cool stone next to his leg, a silent sentence spoken as he takes another drag.

_This one is for you, brother._

He wonders what Merle would say to him now, if he was currently standing next to him and not buried six feet under the dirt beneath his feet. He'd probably punch him, call him some stupid pussy for coming out to this grave once a month and the thought almost makes Daryl smile.

Sure, his brother was an asshole but he was working on it before he bit the dust. Cut back on his drinking - not by much but it was enough for even Rick to notice - and he had been clean from the drugs for almost two months before his old dealer caught up to him - because even if he wasn't buying currently, he had before and he had debts to pay.

Apparently a bullet in the chest was deemed _even_.

Daryl sighs now, shaking his head. He didn't want to go back there, back to that night where he was woken up by the blare of his cellphone, Rick's name lighting up on the screen. He is almost grateful when he catches a spot of color in his peripheral vision.

He looks up and sees her walking toward the caramel colored grave marker right next to the vibrant colored rose bush. She's wearing a yellow sundress this time, a pair of faded brown cowboy boots covering her feet and her long blonde hair is pulled back into a low twist at her neck, a few loose strands dancing across her face with the wind. He keeps his head down, makes it look like he's not staring when he clearly is, taking one last drag of his cigarette before he tosses it away.

He remembers the first time he saw her almost six months ago, damn near thought he was seeing a ghost when he saw her walking around with her pale skin and long blonde hair, a white sundress billowing in the breeze. He had never seen her before and this town was small, he knew everyone, especially with working at the only garage within a fifty mile radius. He couldn't help but stare as she stopped in front of a headstone, dropping into a crouch to place a bouquet of flowers at the grass at her feet before she stood up again, lingering for only a moment - long enough to run her small hand across the top of the grave marker - and then she was turning, walking away.

Daryl was half convinced he had imagined the whole thing until the following month, when he was once again smoking a cigarette, leaning against the grave marker bearing his brother's name and he looked up to see her walking toward that same stone next to the rose bush. She did the same thing she had done the previous visit, only staying long enough to place a new bouquet of flowers and run her hand along the top of the grave marker before she once again turned to leave and with the graceful way she walked, disappearing down the sidewalk, Daryl still found himself wondering if she was just a ghost.

That time he had gotten up though, keeping his gaze on her vanishing form as she continued down the road and with one last smack against Merle's headstone he had made his way over to the caramel colored one next to the rose bush. He had glanced down at it, reading the script with surprise.

_Annette Greene_

_Loving Wife and Mother_

He had cocked his head, images of a white haired man wearing overalls coming to mind. He knew who Hershel Greene was - kind of hard not to with him being so friendly with Rick - but as far as he knew, Hershel only had two kids, and neither of them were the pale skinned blonde who had been here moments before. He had shrugged it off then, deciding it was none of his business and he had left the cemetery, leaving thoughts of the mysterious blonde locked within the gates, among the other ghosts.

It wasn't until the third time he saw her that she seemed to notice him as well. He had been just getting ready to leave when she came in, feet squishing in the soft dirt from the storm the night before and going right towards that caramel colored headstone. She had placed her own flowers down, right with routine, and he watched as she then walked over to the rose bush, pulling out a few scattered sticks that had gotten lodged within the vines when she suddenly looked up, looking right at him.

Daryl had stiffened, hoping she wouldn't notice the way he had once again been staring - he couldn't help it, the girl was just too enthralling to _not_ watch - and she had stared at him for what felt like hours, though it couldn't have been more than seconds, before she gave him a small nod and Daryl, having figured out how to move again, had given her one in return. She had turned then, running her hand along the stone as she passed and walked toward the gates, depositing the wayward sticks at the fence before she walked through the gate and disappeared down the sidewalk.

The fourth time, she had looked over at him right away when she walked into the cemetery, pulling her hair behind her ear as she saw him standing there and she nodded again, him doing the same, before she began her routine. She had brought lilacs this time, Daryl only noticing because of the way the dark purple had stood out against her white blouse. He had left before her that time and the following month, the fifth time he saw her, neither of them mentioned the single wilted lilac that had been resting on his brother's grave.

She looked up at him now, one hand holding a bouquet of lilies while the other held her yellow sundress down against her long legs - it was windy out today, another storm brewing - and this time, he was the one to nod his head at her first. They were too far away from each other for him to see her clearly but Daryl was certain that when she gave her own nod in return, there was just a hint of a smile. He thought about smoking another cigarette but when he pulled out his pack and only saw one remaining he stood straight and then crouched down, pulling that last cigarette out and tucking it between the grass next to the headstone before he stood up again and turned to leave, wondering if he imagined the way he could feel her eyes on him the entire time.

That was the sixth time he saw her and he sure as hell wasn't expecting it the seventh time he saw her. Sure as hell didn't expected the door to the garage to burst open, slamming against the wall and causing him to look up from where he had been preparing to mount his bike - going home for the day - and he definitely didn't expect her to storm out of it. He could have said _breezed though_, because even clearly pissed off, she moved with a grace that almost seemed inhuman, and he wondered if it was only because this was the first time he hadn't seen her surrounded by the markers of the dead that he didn't hide the way he was staring, didn't make it seem like he was watching the ground instead of her.

She had only managed to stomp a few feet across the pavement before the door opened again, not slapping against the wall this time, and he watched curiously as one of his coworkers, Shawn Greene - Hershel's oldest and who knew cars almost as well as Daryl - broke into a slight jog to catch up to the blonde haired girl.

"Beth!" he yelled and Daryl tilted his head slightly, not sure how he felt about now having a name for the mysterious girl.

She was wearing jeans and a loose blue tank top today, her hair flying behind her with the wind and her cowboy boots clicking angrily against the blacktop.

"Beth!" Shawn said again, finally catching up to her but she made no move to stop. "C'mon Beth, ya know she doesn't mean anything by it."

This caused the girl to whip around, a scoff escaping her lips. "That's bullshit and _you_ know it!" she exclaimed, her voice soft like Daryl had imagined but holding a fierceness that surprised him.

"Beth," Shawn had tried with a sigh but she was shaking her head.

"Just forget it, Shawn," she said and began to walk away again but then she turned back around, clenching her fist. "Ya know, when I agreed to come back here, it was because Daddy asked me to, to help out at the clinic and on the farm, not to have every move I make questioned." she steeled her shoulders and Daryl noticed the way her hands flexed, showing her discomfort at the conversation.

"I am _not_ that sixteen year old girl anymore." she said then, her voice lowering but still loud enough for Daryl to hear where he stood a few feet away.

"I know, but Beth," Shawn began but she quickly turned then, once again hurrying away.

"Beth," Shawn yelled, annoyance and exhaustion creeping into his tone and when he chased after her again, grabbing her arm and yanking her to a stop, Daryl felt himself take a step forward, his jaw clenching.

He could tell immediately that this grab was something different though - not like the way his old man used to grab his Ma before his fist went flying - but he felt this weird feeling at seeing Shawn's hand on the girl like that. It subdued slightly when he saw the girl step toward him this time, her arms wrapping around him as his held her to him, pulling her closer and he could tell with the way he saw Shawn's lips moving that he was speaking to her but this time it was too quiet for him to hear.

After a moment the girl stepped out of the embrace, wiping at her eyes quickly before she nodded her head.

"I get off in a half hour if ya wanna wait," Shawn spoke then, his voice back to a normal level.

She shook her head though, biting her lip. "I just need some air, 'fore I go back there."

Shawn nodded but sighed, clearly not liking her response. "You at least got your phone on ya?" he asked and when she patted her side pocket he nodded again. "A'right. Just call me if ya need a ride or anything."

"I will," she said and then turned and Daryl didn't turn away when her eyes landed on him with her movement, her eyes widening in recognition before she quickly looked away and began to walk toward the sidewalk, leaving the garage property.

He turned his attention back onto his bike, noticing that Shawn stared after her until she disappeared around the corner before he shook his head and made his way back toward the garage, heading back to work. Daryl swung his leg over and started the bike and lit a cigarette before he eased out of the parking space. He stopped at the edge of the drive. If he took a left, it would bring him toward his cabin; If he went right, it would bring him closer to town, toward the direction _she_ had been heading.

He found himself turning right.

It wasn't long before he spotted her but he had to admit, for such a small thing she moved quick and he wasn't even thinking when he pulled over to the curb, just a little ways ahead of where she was walking. He placed his feet on the ground, tossing his cigarette away as he looked over his shoulder, already seeing her coming toward him. She paused next to him, still standing on the sidewalk as the engine roared between them.

When he had first noticed her, he had thought she was younger, a kid still. Looking at her now, the closest they have ever been to each other since that first time he saw her in the cemetery, he now realized that she was older. He still wasn't sure how old, her small frame and slight features hindering his observations but he was certain that she wasn't the _girl_ he referred to her as. She was definitely a woman, a woman who looked like she had already been through too much in her years.

Her eyes were blue, reminding him of the sky, and he wasn't sure how he managed to find his voice but that was definitely him that he was hearing speak.

"Wan' a lift?" he asked gruffly, trying to figure out just what the hell he was doing.

She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head slightly, obviously wondering the same thing he was. They didn't know each other. He had no business offering her rides or even speaking to her. They were just two people who happened to go to the cemetery around the same time at the same day, every month.

Just two people chasing ghosts.

"You work with my brother?" she asked, her voice softer and calmer than it had been back in the parking lot.

He lowered his chin in a nod, resisting the urge to bring his thumb toward his lips. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, why he suddenly found himself hoping she would take him up on his offer. Why now, after months of watching from afar he suddenly found himself not wanting to be anywhere else other than next to her. He knew it didn't make sense, he didn't know her, didn't even know her name until only moments ago but he realized that it didn't matter.

He felt a connection with her. They were just people who both lost someone, both felt a need to go visit the resting place of those people. She didn't know him, didn't know his story. Hell, she didn't even know his _name _\- but that didn't stop her from placing a flower at his brother's grave.

That didn't stop her from stepping forward and placing her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself as she swung her leg over and settled in behind him on the bike, wrapping her slim arms around his waist.

"Got a place in mind?" he questioned over his shoulder, starting to drift away from the curb once he knew she was secure behind him.

He felt her shake her head against his back.

"Just ride." she whispered in his ear and he felt the edge of his lips curve upward as he merged back onto the road, squeezing the throttle as they soared down the pavement.

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**I'm hoping to update_ Fighter_ tomorrow (for those who are wondering and follow that story as well) and then on Tuesday, I will be leaving for a week long trip and will have no computer access during that time, meaning, no updates from me on any stories for at least a week. My apologies but it cannot be helped! :(**

**Also, in case you were curious, these are the works I am currently focusing on:**

**\- Fighter**

**\- While I'm Dreaming (a part two/conclusion)**

**\- And also this story, if people are interested...**

**As always, thank you for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter, I've had it written for a couple days now but I promised myself I wouldn't upload it until I posted the next chapter of _Fighter _but I am having such a difficult time writing it that I've decided to just upload this now since I know it's been a while since I posted something...**

**Also, I feel like I should warn you guys that this story is taking a life of it's own and I had to cut a few things out of this chapter and work them into the next chapter otherwise this one would have been too long so at this rate, it looks like it's going to be a bit of a slow burn...**

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_I'm hoping you weren't heaven sent_

_Cause only hell knows where you've been_

_\- PVRIS: "Only Love"_

_..._

They ride for awhile. Daryl isn't sure how long, just knows that the sun is lower in the sky now, sinking down near the horizon and he had only really noticed it when he had caught the glare it reflected off the town limits sign they passed a few miles back. Most of the ride he had been focusing on the woman sitting behind him, her arms firmly secured across his middle and he can't be positive but he is certain that this is not her first time on a motorcycle. She's too relaxed, knows when to lean and she isn't fidgeting against the uncomfortable feeling that usually comes from a first ride and it makes him all the more curious about her because he never would have imagined a girl like her having any experience like she seems to have.

He slows down as he sees a gas station approaching and pulls in - he had been watching the fuel gauge worriedly as they rode, only remembering he had been planning to fill the tank after work before he decided to take a detour and pick up the girl - _Beth_, he had to remind himself he knew her name now, even if they still hadn't made any proper introductions yet. He pulls up to a pump and kills the engine, Beth's arms already loosening around him as he slides down the kickstand. He is even more sure this hasn't been her first ride when she climbs from the bike effortlessly, her legs steady as she stands. He follows her off and then goes toward the pump and lifts the nozzle before he looks back up at her.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick and grab a drink, ya want anythin'?" she asks him, lifting her arms above her head in a stretch and he finds his eyes drawn to the pale sliver of flesh of her belly that is revealed with the rise of her shirt.

"I'll meet ya inside," he answers and she just nods her head before she turns and begins walking toward the store entrance and he wonders if he should be concerned how _natural_ things just seem to be between them, almost as if he didn't just pick her up off the curb on a whim, offering her a ride to no where.

He finishes filling the gas and then heads inside, seeing her standing at the register with a bottle of water and she points out to the pump and the cashier nods and Daryl doesn't make it fast enough to prevent her from paying for his gas. He lets out a grunt as she smiles at him, smugly, like she knows he wouldn't have let her pay had he gotten here sooner. He lets it go for the moment, asking the cashier behind the counter for a pack of cigarettes and then they are walking out the door together, Beth taking a sip of water before she glances over at him.

"I would have gotten those for ya," she says and then backtracks, shaking her head slightly. "Well actually, probably better you did it. Don't have my license on me." she says with a tiny shrug and he stops at the garbage can beside the door, looking up at her as she pauses beside him and he begins to peel off the plastic coating the pack.

"Doubt he woulda sold 'em to ya either way," he blurts out, surprising her and himself.

She narrows her eyes at him and tilts her head and he sees a hint of amusement behind her eyes but also some anger, maybe even curiosity too and it confuses him.

"How old do ya think I am anyhow?" she asks, one of her eyebrows quirking.

He shrugs, pursing his lips and letting out a small mumble, something he isn't even sure he understands but he's pretty sure it sounded something like _too young_ and she lets out a scoff but it's gentle, delicate and he's pretty sure she is the only person in the world who could manage a noise like that.

"Well, not like I'm askin' ya to take me back to your place and have your way with me but even if I was...you do know that the age of consent in Georgia is sixteen, right? You wouldn't get in trouble or nothing."

Daryl balks, his eyes widening in a way he is sure looks like something out of a cartoon because _Holy shit_. He was not expecting words like that to come out of her mouth and it's so out of left field because he wasn't even thinking about that and _Holy shit_. There was no way she was that young. Of course he knew she looked like it, he had already admitted to himself that at first he thought she was just a kid before, when he only knew he as the girl from the cemetery and not as the woman - that he so desperately hoped she was - that he had picked up off the curb because _Holy shit_.

He was going to jail for sure, picking up a minor, a damn_ child_ for Christ's sake and driving her out to the middle of no where on his motorcycle, don't matter none if she is of consenting age and - and then he sees it, that mischievous little smirk pulling at her lips, that glint in her eyes flashing in the glow of the setting sun and then she giggles. She _fucking_ _giggles_.

_Holy shit._

"You look like yer gonna have a heart attack or somethin'," she says with a tease in her tone and he is still standing there like a damn statue.

"Holy shit," he mutters a loud this time and shakes his head, his body remembering how to move again.

"I'm twenty two," she then reveals around another giggle and turns and walks away, heading back toward the bike and he just watches her go.

"Holy shit," he mutters again and then finds himself following after her.

...

It's officially dark out when he pulls into the diner parking lot. They were back in town now, still more towards the outskirts but he had headed back in the direction after they left the gas station, not knowing where to go but deciding it was better if he didn't continue driving them further away. He had still been deciding on where to take her when she had suddenly squeezed his middle and he looked down to see her pointing toward the neon lights coming up ahead and she had shouted over the wind, telling him she was hungry and he had just nodded his head and now he watched as she climbed off the bike again and he almost asked her where she learned to ride this time but before he could she let out a curse, staring down at the cell phone she had pulled out from her pocket with exasperation.

"You got a cell phone I can use?" she asks him, looking up at him as he swings his leg over and immediately starts to dig out his own phone. "Mine is dead and I should probably call my brother, let him know I'm alright."

He nods and hands his phone over and she takes it with a smile. He sees her typing on the screen and it isn't until she places the phone up to her ear that he suddenly remembers something.

"He's got my number - probably gonna be confused when he sees my name," he says and pulls out a cigarette, placing it between his lips.

She nods and then something flashes in her eyes and she lets out a tiny laugh. "What is your name anyway?"

He can't help but smirk at the ridiculousness of their situation and he wonders once again why he isn't worrying over the fact that things are just too easy between them.

"Daryl," he says, releasing a puff of smoke, mindful to blow it away from her direction. "Daryl Dixon."

She smiles. "Beth Greene."

He lets out a small chuckle then, shaking his head and taking another drag and Shawn must answer the phone then because she starts talking again.

"No, it's Beth," she says and Daryl can't help but watch her as she starts to twirl a piece of her long hair between her fingers. "Yeah, my phone died and he let me use his...Just wanted to let you know I was safe and I'll be home in a bit...Daryl said he'd give me a ride...Bye Shawn!" she says quickly and he gets the feeling that Shawn was wondering how in the hell his baby sister got tangled up with the likes of him and Daryl can't help but find himself wondering the same thing, just as he wonders what she will say to explain it when she gets home, wonders what the hell _he_ would say if Shawn happens to corner him in the garage tomorrow.

He finds himself not caring at the moment when she hands him back his phone and he drops his cigarette to the ground, crushing it with his boot before he starts to follow her into the diner. The place is pretty much empty and he lets Beth choose their sit, picking a booth in the back corner and the waitress comes up to them almost immediately, setting down glasses of water and handing them menus. She leaves almost as quick, saying she'll be back for their order in a minute and Daryl finds himself unable to look anywhere but at the blonde mystery sitting across from him because even if she had been sitting behind him and holding onto to him, trusting him with her life for the past hour or so, he still knows nothing about her.

Her hair is all windblown and almost wild looking from having been on the back of his bike but she doesn't seem to care much and that confuses him. Most women he knew were all about keeping up with their appearance but looking at Beth across from him, her eyes scouring the menu he could tell she wasn't like most women - not that he ever really thought that for a minute if he were being honest. Her blue eyes flash up at him and it's then that he notices another thing about her, she wasn't wearing any makeup, or, if she was, he certainly couldn't tell and she gives him a small smile before she glances back down at the menu, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink and he notices her shiver and he is shrugging off his vest before he realizes it.

He peels off the flannel he had been wearing - unbuttoned over his work shirt - before he holds it out to her and she looks up in surprise. He arches an eyebrow at her before he shakes the shirt gently in her direction and she gives him an amused smile before she shakes her head and grabs it from him. She mumbles a _thanks_ and he puts his vest back on as she shrugs into the long sleeves, his eyes and ears catching the movement of a small array of bracelets dangling from her left wrist before the fabric covers them and she brings the shirt in tight over her torso, not buttoning it but almost snuggling it to her body and he finds himself speaking before he realizes it.

"Didn't know Shawn had another sister," he grunts, his rough voice seeming to shock both of them and he can't help but scold himself and he finds wondering why he felt the need to start a conversation with her because she had seemed perfectly content with them just sitting there peacefully.

She seems to startle for a moment, her eyes going wide before she recovers and lifts her shoulders in a shrug. "Moved away when I was eighteen," she says and begins to swirl the straw in her drink. "I uh, did some things, when I was younger. Needed to get away for awhile, escape."

Before either of them can say anything more the waitress is back and taking their order and it isn't until she leaves and Beth's eyes flick up toward his own that he sees it again. That same thing he noticed when he had stopped at the curb and realized she wasn't just some kid. There was a story in her eyes, a story she hid well but he could see hints of it, just beginning to touch the surface before she looked away, back down at her drink and that's when he knew.

The girl may have looked like an angel, but she had demons, same as him, and he figured as much, with first meeting her at the cemetery and then witnessing her argument with Shawn, but what he hadn't planned on was the feeling that washed over him, the feeling of wanting to know those demons, draw them out, scare them away.

The feeling of wanting to know her.

It terrified him.

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**This story is probably my favorite right now and you can thank _PVRIS_ for most of the inspiration behind it, so don't be surprised if most of the opening lyrics are from them, they are my therapy at the moment. (and I would highly recommend you check them out if you haven't yet, they are also the inspiration for my "two-shot" _While I'm Dreaming_)**

** Thank you for reading and please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_Tell them all that I'm a work in progress_

_Pour it out and I will stay out of the way_

_Fill it up, for what it's worth I'm harmless_

_Cut me down and I will leave with what I take_

_\- The Dangerous Summer: "Work in Progress"_

...

She's quiet.

She's real quiet and more than once he has felt the need to look up, to make sure that she was in fact still sitting across from him because she is just so damn quiet. But she's there, chowing down on a cheeseburger and she's dunking her french fries in her chocolate shake and he can't help but admire her appetite because for such a tiny thing, she sure could eat.

He shifts in his seat and she glances up at him, giving him a small smile before she looks back down at her food and he wants to talk, wants to speak up but that's not exactly true, you see,_ he_ doesn't want to talk but he wants _her_ to. He wants to hear her voice and he knows she won't say anything unless he actually says something first and with how her eyes had glazed over, a flash of pain flashing in her eyes when he had spoken up the last time, well, he certainly wasn't planning on speaking up again anytime soon.

Not like he could even if he did want to speak up. Daryl has never been in this position before, of wanting to actually start a conversation and he has no way to go about it.

"You can ask me, ya know." she suddenly says and he whips his head up to see her looking at him with an amused smile.

"What?" he grunts, bringing his own cheeseburger to his mouth.

"Anything." she says with a shrug. "I know ya got questions."

"Ain't none'a my business," he mutters, he wasn't one to pry and if this girl wanted to talk, she was going to have to be the one who chose what they talked about.

"Fine," she sighs and for a moment he thinks that will be it, that she's given up and he is almost disappointed but then she speaks again. "Mind if I ask you a few questions then?"

He appraises her for a moment before he shrugs. "Ain't promisin' I'll answer but, sure."

That earns him a small laugh and he feels his own lips twitch in response.

"Fair enough. So...how long have you had your motorcycle?" she asks after a moment, seeming to have thought it through before she spoke.

Daryl stiffens momentarily before he wills himself to relax, this was safe territory, he could answer this and if she pushed for more information, he would tell her to back off.

"Not mine. It was my brother's 'fore he kicked it. Decided I liked it more than driving my truck," he answers carefully, not looking at her.

"Oh," she seems honestly surprised and he looks back up to see her smiling at him. "Makes sense. I think I prefer ridin' than driving too. Like the way the wind blows through my hair." she gives another soft laugh then and he notices her cheeks pink slightly and this sparks his own question from him.

"Where'd ya learn how to ride?" he asks with a raised eyebrow and she almost grins before she seems to catch herself, her eyes lighting with mischief.

"What makes you think I've ridden before?" she asks coyly and he smirks.

"You're too comfortable, know what to do and when. Plus, ya weren't hangin' on to me for dear life. There was no way this was this first time you've sat bitch."

He's surprised when she doesn't react to his language, instead just sliding her lips into an easy smile. "I lived in New York for a while. Worked with this guy who had a bike and every now and then he would offer me a ride home."

"New York?" he asks with surprise, the words out before he can stop them.

"Yeah," she says in almost a sigh, a hint of nostalgia coloring the word but then her smile turns strained and she shrugs. "Needed a change from the small town life, so I picked somewhere where no one would know my name, even after being there for a couple of years."

He nods and he wants to ask more questions again but he doesn't. This was unsafe territory. That light was gone in her eyes and it didn't take him long to figure out that she was once again closing off, reigning herself in, deciding she had shared enough for one day. Daryl hums in the back of his throat, signalling that he heard her but letting her know that he won't ask anything that she doesn't want to answer. By the small smile he sees before she looks back down at her forgotten food, he thinks she understands exactly what he hasn't said.

They finish the rest of their meal in silence and it's comfortable, it once again feels natural between them, effortless and this time Daryl chooses to ignore it when he wonders how that could be possible. When the check comes he is quick to snatch it up when he sees her hand reaching for it.

"Hey!" she gasps and he ignores her as he climbs out of his seat.

"Daryl!" she says then, a small giggle in her voice and he can hear her struggling to catch up to him. "Let me pay for my meal!" she comes up behind him and uses his shoulder as leverage as she tries to reach around him in hopes to grab the check he is holding out of her reach and if she notices the way he flinches when she wraps her arm around him she doesn't react.

"Nah, I got it," he manages to gripe out and she huffs a sigh before she releases him and he turns to see her glaring at him, her arms crossed around her chest and her hip cocked and he is shocked when the word _adorable_ springs to mind.

"I don't need you takin' care of me or nothin'." she grumbles out.

"I know," he says and she blinks at him, her face going blank for moment, as if him saying that was the last thing she expected. "Just buyin' your damn food Greene, consider it compensation or something, for pickin' you up and draggin' you around all night," he shrugs, turning away from her.

"That's ridiculous." she argues behind him and he lets out a heavy sigh before he turns back to face her but she's smiling and it catches him off guard when he sees her cheeks begin to color pink again and she bites her lip. "You don't have to compensate me, I'm happy about it."

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "'Bout what?" he asks then, not sure if she was referring to him paying for her or not.

She smiles shyly then and shrugs. "I'm happy you picked me up."

He stares at her then, looking in her eyes for any hint of a lie because she can't be serious. Not only did he eavesdrop on what was supposed to be a private conversation between her and her brother but he then followed her and picked her up like some creep - even if she did go willingly - but when he looks down into those small oceans of blue staring up at him he doesn't see any lie in her words and all he can do it form one thought in his head before the hostess comes up to the counter, ringing them out.

_Me too._

Daryl pays and they head outside and when she makes it to the bike before him she pauses, looking up at him with another smile and he takes in a deep breath, unsure of what to do next. It was getting late and he was sure Shawn would be getting, if not worried, than definitely curious and he didn't want to just grunt out that they should be getting back nor did he want to ask her what she wanted to do next. Her face though suddenly turns thoughtful and he gets the feeling that he won't have to do anything.

"Do you have to be somewhere?" she asks him, her voice curious and he detects a hint of hesitance and she reaches up to twirl a piece of her long blonde hair around her finger and that's when he realizes that she is nervous and hell, doesn't that make him just as nervous, if not more, of what she is planning.

He finds himself shaking his head though because no, he didn't have anywhere to be and yeah he's got work in the morning but he doesn't need much sleep, is used to the routine of being tired and walking around like it doesn't matter so he shakes his head and she smiles wider and suddenly he is terrified.

"There's this place..." she starts to say and he wonders if she sees how terrified he is at how she can finish that sentence because she stops suddenly, shaking her head as if trying to erase what she said and he can't be sure because of the dim lighting but he thinks she is starting to blush again. "Actually, it's probably best if ya take me home. I'm pretty tired."

She's lying. He can tell and he doesn't know whether to be grateful or disappointed because he just knows that if she had asked him, he would have taken this girl anywhere - this girl, this tiny slip of a woman he barely knows, who he picked up on a whim, driving her out to the middle of nowhere and he has no idea what he is doing but he knows one thing for certain, he would take this girl anywhere. He would go anywhere with her.

And that's when he comes to the conclusion that this blonde hair, blue eyed woman who is nearly half the size of him is one of the scariest people he has ever met.

This morning he woke up without a thought about that girl who left a flower on his brother's grave but he knew now that no matter what happens, whether or not this night is the beginning of many or just one rare occurrence, he knows he will never stop thinking about Beth Greene. He hardly knows anything about her other than she is his coworker's little sister, her momma is dead and she likes the way the wind blows through her hair when she's on a motorcycle. This girl could ask him to take her to the moon and dammit all to hell if he wouldn't try and figure out a way to take her there.

She doesn't ask him that though, she asks him to take her home and so he takes her home. They get back on the bike and she wraps her arms around him and she gives him directions and the whole ride back to her Daddy's farm he is focused on how those arms are wrapped around him. Those slim arms that he can tell has a hidden strength - maybe even hidden from her. She places her head against his back, her cheek resting on his shoulder blade, like she's trying to hide and he notices the way the wind has picked up and he can sense a storm rolling in, will probably hit them by tomorrow afternoon and he clutches the handlebars a little tighter.

He turns down the long drive, passing the mailbox, catches the last name Greene in the glow of the small lantern hanging a few feet away and he is reminded of the caramel colored headstone sitting in a graveyard - the place where this whole thing started, made this whole night possible because if he had never seen her there, if they had never interacted like they did with slight nods and small smiles and shy glances he never would have picked her up like he did, offering her a ride to nowhere.

She doesn't tell him to stop at the driveway so he pulls right up to the house, stopping next to a car he recognizes as Shawn's and he lets the engine idle as she climbs off and he ignores the way she seems to be moving too slow, almost hesitant, like she doesn't actually want to leave. She climbs off though and her fingers slip from his shoulders which she had used to steady herself and she turns toward him and he looks up and for a few uncounted moments they just stare at one another.

Finally though she looks away, glances toward the house with an almost wary look before she looks back at him.

"Thank you, Daryl Dixon," she says and he isn't sure why she says it like that, his full name, like she just wanted to know what it felt like on her tongue, the same tongue that quickly slips out, gliding across her bottom lip and he ignores the feeling in his belly, the feeling of wanting to hear her say it again because no one has ever said his name like that.

Like it was the most beautiful thing she has ever tasted touching her lips.

"S'nothing," he mumbles, lifting his shoulder in a halfhearted shrug and she shakes her head, smiling again like he has just said the most obnoxious thing.

"I don't think you know just what I'm thanking you for."

She leaves then, turning and walking away, towards the front porch and he sits there, waiting until she makes it to the first step before he begins to back away and her words repeat in his head but he ignores it and just what the hell she had meant by that and he begins to roll down the drive and the last thing he sees is her staring at him in the reflection of his mirror, standing in the glow of the porch light, door half open as she watches him leave.

.

.

.

He knew it was coming, had felt those eyes on him all morning so he isn't surprised when he feels a presence slide up beside him and he looks over to see Shawn Greene staring at him. They're standing near the edge of the garage, taking cover from the rain - that storm having hit them right on time - and Daryl takes another drag from his cigarette as Shawn takes in a deep breath, obviously preparing to speak.

"Hey man, I just wanted to thank you, for helping out my sister last night. I don't know what you did...but...thanks."

Daryl narrows his eyes, wondering why Shawn keeps looking at him like that, like he was suddenly someone more than just his coworker he's been working with for almost two years and finally he shrugs, flicking his cigarette away.

"Jus' gave 'er a ride home," he mumbles his voice barely heard over the pound of the rain on the tin roof above them.

"Nah," Shawn says with a shake of his head, turning to look out at the rain, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Ya did more than that, might not know it but ya did."

Daryl furrows his eyebrows in confusion and he almost argues, almost continues that he took her to get some dinner too and it was really nothing special but Shawn suddenly speaks up again, his voice low and hesitant, almost sounding confused and half afraid.

"She was singin' this mornin'," There is a hint of a smile on his lips before it drops back down into a frown and Daryl wonders if it had even been there at all. "We haven't heard her sing since our Ma died."

Shawn turns and leaves then, walking back toward his work station and Daryl stands there, wondering just what the hell he was supposed to do with that kind of information and he can't help but acknowledge that this is the second time a Greene has said something to him that has left him speechless and feeling dumb. Thunder rumbles overhead and he hears that soft voice again.

_"I don't think you know just what I'm thanking you for."_

No. No he didn't. Not a damn clue. But he was now determined to figure it out.

.

.

.

* * *

I apologize for the for the lack of updates lately, I have been super busy and trying to find time to write has been hard since I've starting working more hours at work. As way of an explanation, I just decided to make the adventure of moving to New Jersey (I currently live in Illinois) and have a lot that I need to do before the big move in August so I will try to update as much as I can but I can't make any promises of a regular schedule...but as always, thank you for sticking around and please leave a review, they definitely help to speed up the process. :)


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